


Patched Up

by bigirlgiggles



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Big Brothers, Family Fluff, Fluff, Little Brothers, Tickling, newsies tickling, tickle fight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-08-13 06:10:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20169433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigirlgiggles/pseuds/bigirlgiggles
Summary: With plenty of younger brothers comes designated responsibilities. Buttons isn't keen on those given to him.





	Patched Up

Romeo shrieked, loudly enough so that Buttons nearly stuck himself in the hand with the needle he was trying to thread. The younger newsies kept him up to his elbows in mending and the racket was so bad he could hardly think, let alone work on the set of patches he was fixing for Smalls. If only there was a way to keep them from wearing out their knees less. The energy the kid somehow managed to maintain even after a long selling day on the strangely warm September day amazed him.

Buttons bit his lip and held the needle up to the light, squinting at the grimy window he saw through the eye. He licked the end of the thread and tried to line it up with the needle, right as Albert smacked hard against the bunk, dragging a screeching Romeo across the floor. They didn’t notice that they had made him drop his work, instead continuing to roughhouse and roll around on the dusty floor as Buttons prayed his needle didn’t get lost in his sheets again. It’s what he got for trying to sew in bed. 

He could see that while he and Albert were the big brothers of sorts to the little ones, their roles were still as different as night and day. Buttons was more reasonably responsible, making sure clothes lasted until they were nearly bare threads, doing a headcount before it got dark and scanning over the bunks in the room in the middle of the night to make sure all of the youngest newsies made it back safe after dinner, even pulling one of the bonier kids into his bed when it was too cold for them to sleep on their own and Race couldn’t cram anymore into his own. He was the responsible big brother, looking out for everyone and making sure they all had what they needed. 

Albert, on the other hand, reminded them that after all, they were still children and deserved to feel like it occasionally. As Buttons tucked away his supplies, Albert had pinned Romeo to the floor, lifting up his shirt and blowing hard on his bare stomach. He screamed with laughter, thrashing underneath Albert and drumming his legs against the floor. Buttons shook his head, folding Smalls’ shirt and tucked it under his pillow, lying on his stomach to get a better look at the two on the floor.

“What did he do this time?”He rose an eyebrow as Romeo screeched again, wrinkling his face at his volume. For such a small kid, he sure had a set of lungs. 

“Nothin! I didn’t do nothing,Buttons, ‘m innocent!” Romeo kicked his feet, trying to hit Albert in a spot where it hurt enough for him to falter for a second so he could make a getaway from the torment.

“Talkin’ back about something you ain’t got a lick of sense about is something!” Albert squeezed Romeo’s sides, grinning evilly at the renewed childish giggles flooding from Romeo.

“You got a reason to have dragged him out of bed, Al?” Buttons winced as Romeo screamed again. “Can’t you at least tickle him half to death a little quiet? Some of us were working.”

“Some of us were working!”Albert imitated, making a face at Buttons who rolled his eyes. “We was all working today, you ain’t special, Buttons.”

“I meant after hours!” Buttons sat up, sitting on the edge of the bed and leaning on the bunk pole. “Some of us got responsibilities, Al.”

Albert glanced at Romeo, who was definitely appreciating the breather as he sprawled out on his back, literally tickled pink. “Get outta here, shorty.” He couldn’t resist mussing his hair as Romeo got up, leaving him and Buttons alone in that corner of the room. 

“If you make him tear his stitches I swear will use you as a pincushion.” 

“No you won’t,” Albert spoke matter-of-factly, “you’ll huff and grumble and sew em back again and again.”

Buttons just shook his head, focusing on trying to thread the needle again. His hands shook slightly, but whether it was from frustration or just being so damn tired he didn’t know.

“Come on, Buttons. What’s eating you.” 

“I spend every spare minute worried about those little ones and you just..”He put the sewing down with a frustrated huff, “and they love you.”

Albert frowned deeply, and Buttons shifted uncomfortably. “They love all of us.”

“They love you most. Anyone can see it, they go to you for everything. Bored? Don’t feel good? Something bothering them and they need to talk? Got into some trouble? Albert can handle all of that. And if he can’t, Race can. And if he and Specs can’t, then maybe we should try Buttons.” His shoulders fell and he looked up at the bunk above him to avoid meeting Albert’s eyes, counting the scuffs and ridges.

“Shift it.”Albert nudged him so he could squeeze next to him on the bed. “They love ya too, and you know it.”

“It’s just different, Al.”

“No, you’s makin it look different. That’s what Jack says you and Davey do. You uh..”Albert squeezed his eyes shut for a second to try and remember the somewhat sage words of the elder newsie. “You make it different so you can see it different? So you don’t gotta talk about it? I don’t remember-”

Buttons barked a laugh at that, shaking his head. “Point is!”Albert continued, unphased. “They just show it different to you than they do to Race and me.”

“I know they don’t just run to you when their sleeve’s got a rip.” Buttons said, reaching around to collect his work from under his pillow and resuming his stitching.

“Yeah, but that don’t mean you’re not invited to have fun with the rest of us.” Albert couldn’t resist poking his side. Buttons glared at him and Albert knew there was no heat behind it, grinning back at him

“Oh, there we are. Sad-sack Buttons who’s too busy to have fun.”Albert crooned, The fake pout was nothing to match the mischief in the redhead's eyes.

“Romeo is gonna hear!” Buttons smacked Albert’s hands when he tried to grab at his stomach. 

“Guess you better not say any bad words.” Albert grinned and Buttons shrunk back, all too late as the stronger boy pinned him to the bed, holding his wrists over his head as Buttons kicked and squirmed. 

“Albert! Let go, seriously!” Buttons’ voice rose an octave, squeaky as he tried to wriggle out from his grip. “You’re gonna stab one of us with the needle! I was doin’ patchwork-”

Albert nudged his patchwork onto the floor, laughing at his noise of protest. “It’s not going anywhere!”

“Now it’s dirty!”

“Then go get it.” Buttons squirmed away to reach down, right in time for Albert to grab him around the waist and pull him back onto the bed, digging into his ribs. It may have been the combination of the surprise and the previous struggle that caused Buttons to screech, but Albert’s quick fingers had him cackling in seconds, thrashing in his grip. Work on the floor forgotten, Buttons tried to curl up in defense but he was no match against the ticklish sensations wracking his body. 

“Not sure a sad sack can even laugh like that, B.”Albert cooed as Button’s nose wrinkled as he laughed, grinning even wider as he thrashed. “Bet you forgot what tickles feel like! Did you think you were still this ticklish? Gosh, I think you’re even more ticklish than Blink!”

Buttons would have huffed in disagreement had he not been so breathless. “S-shut up! Bite me!”

“There goes them dirty words you ain’t want Romeo to hear.”Albert tsked, one hand moving to tickle Buttons’ lower back with rapid but light pokes.

“The only thing bigger than your forehead is that smile of yours...five to one I’ll bet you’re just having the time of your life.” Buttons knew he was blushing already but now he had to be as red as his patches, throwing his head back and letting himself get lost in laughter. Albert laughed along with him with that familiar wheeze of his, pulling him closer to get under his arms.

“No! Al, please. Not there. Anywhere but there.” He knew Albert wouldn’t have even considered his wishes had not Romeo appeared in the doorway.

“What are you doing?” The younger boy asked, eyebrows knitted together as he tugged on his newsie cap in his hands.

“Gettin Buttons the sad-sack here to let loose.”Albert kept his grip on Buttons firm as he tried to wiggle away at the moment Albert’s attention diverted from him to the small brown-eyed boy in the doorway. “I thought he was due for a visit from the tickle monster.”

Buttons rolled his eyes at the childish game, unable to stop the squeak that left him with the slight movement of Albert’s fingers against his back.

“You’re makin’ a lotta noise.”Romeo wrinkled his nose briefly before climbing into Buttons’ bed, curling up at the head of it much like a cat. “Sounded like Buttons was yellin at you.”

“I was.” Buttons attempted to shove Albert’s hands off of his sides, his goofy grin the result of such ticklish touch. “He’s being a pest, Rome. More than usual.”

“Oh, I’m the pest!? Just cause I wanna see my dearest baby brother smile?”Albert pretended to be hurt, his tickling starting up again. “Am I a criminal too, Buttons? Cause I knocked the patchwork on the floor?”

“Hey! I’m older and-you’re so annoying!” Buttons’ giggles picked back up again, his limbs uselessly weak as he laughed himself pink.

“He’s not gonna be able to get anything done!” Romeo said, pointing to his project sitting on the dusty floor. “Someone probably needs those pants, Al.”

“He’s worked all day, he needs someone to bother him at least a little.” Albert formed his hand into a claw and vibrated it over his victim’s belly, not even giving Buttons a chance for a response.

“But I need him to sew my socks after he sewed the pants.” Romeo pouted, lifting up a dirty sock-clad foot and wiggling his toes. Sure enough, tiny toes were peeking out of a small hole where his big toe had rubbed through the fabric. “These is my only socks.”

Albert, giving a quick break to Buttons, pulled Romeo closer by his ankle and caught him before he fell, laughing as the shriek of surprise he let out. “Thought I told you to take one of mine!”

“I don’t wanna wear your dirty socks! They smells gross!”Romeo giggled, wiggling. “Buttons! B, h-help!”

“Good idea, I’ll bet you have holes in your shirt too!” Buttons grinned at Romeo.

“No!” Buttons broke away from Albert, pretending to feel for holes and rips in Romeo’s shirt, making him scream with laughter as Albert teased the hole in his sock and scratched at the sweet spot behind his knee.

“See, I’m not too busy to help!” Buttons tried tickling his neck, beaming at the childish laughter Romeo let out. 

“Help me! You’s helpin Bertie and that’s cheatin!”Romeo kicked at the redhead, curling up tightly. “He’s bigger! I’m littler!”

“Maybe if you ate a vegetable when the nuns told ya-”

“No!” The little rascal managed to protest Buttons’ food choices, wiggling just enough to escape. He crawled back up the bed, letting out a loud yelp of pain and yanking his hand up from the bed.

“What happened?” Buttons asked, the laughter immediately falling from his voice.

“Stuck myself on something.” Romeo rubbed at his eye with his uninjured right hand, reaching out to show Buttons. “I’m bleedin.”

Buttons gently held Romeo’s smaller hand in his, raising his eyebrows at the small bead of blood on his palm. “You gotta rinse it off, Rome. Don’t get it dirty- that means don’t go grabbing any strays you see in the alley, all right?”

Romeo nodded, carefully crawling off of the bed. He made it halfway across the room before he skidded to a stop, using his left hand to take his socks off. “Buttons, sew em please! I gotta go rinse!” He flung his dirty socks at Buttons, who simply sighed as they hit him in the chest.

“And you said they don’t love you.” Albert smirked and elbowed him as he rolled his eyes.

Buttons smirked at the dirty socks in his hand and took the risk of shoving them in Albert’s face before running from the room with a wide grin plastered across his face.


End file.
